


Dragoncall

by Quetzalcoatl_is_my_Momma



Series: Fly On Your Own [1]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon- Freeform, The Inheritance Cycle - Christopher Paolini
Genre: But ey Heather will learn it don't worry, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Except the Archipelago is really just a big island, F/M, Female Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Fluff and Humor, Heather is Hiccup, Inheritance Cycle Book and Movie fusion, Inheritance Cycle Canon Divergance- there were TWO Riders Orders instead of One, More accurately the Shouts of Skyrim, Siegfried is Toothless, Some Elements of Elder Scrolls: Skyrim taken, Why? Because Alagaesian Magic is too boring for me, aside from Saphira's design, because the flight scene in the movie was the one good thing about it, he will not stay the same size as he was in the movies he won't stop growing, no, the second one was in the north where the Barbaric Archipelago would be, they gotta suffer their Rider's dumbassery, those poor dragons tho, yes - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:14:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25498930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quetzalcoatl_is_my_Momma/pseuds/Quetzalcoatl_is_my_Momma
Summary: In the years of prosperity for the Dragon Riders, there was a people who allied themselves with the Alagaesian Rider's Order. hailing from the far north, where is snows nine months of the year and hails the other three were the tough Nordics, the Vikings. they had their own Dragon Riding Order, and to keep the peace between the many species of dragons and the people of Alagaesia, they formed an alliance with Vrael and his Order. So it stood to reason that Galbatorix would kill them as well if they refused to join his cause. but there was a mistake he had made- one Viking woman had escaped from the slaughter and went into hiding, birthing a daughter years later in a small mountain village, Carvahall.This daughter is the rightful heir of the Nordic Rider's Order, and her name is Heather Horrendous Haddock III.
Relationships: Eragon Shadeslayer/Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, One-Sided Arya/Eragon, Saphira (Inheritance Cycle)/Toothless (How to Train Your Dragon)
Series: Fly On Your Own [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1847209
Comments: 8
Kudos: 11





	1. The Departure

**Author's Note:**

> I've been meaning to write an Inheritance Cycle-HTTYD crossover for a while now. hope you all like it and leave reviews to let me know what I can do better or just to praise me... that'd be nice too?

"Uncle Garrow! I've finished the chores!" An eight year old old boy with rich brown hair and warm brown eyes trotted up to the elder man with a bright smile. The man turned and raised a brow at the young lad as he bounced up and down on the balls of his feet. Roran, a full two summers ahead in age to make him ten, shoots a small grin at his cousin as the brunette fidgets in place.

"Alright boy, but what has you in such a rush?" Eragon stills a moment before looking away.

"it isn't any of your business-." "He wants to see Heather." Roran's voice drawls from the right and made Eragon's face flush slightly. "Ooh? Valka's girl, eh?" Garrow's tone takes a teasing edge to it as he sees his nephew's pinking cheeks. "I don't understand why you like her so much, Eragon," Roran says as he drops a bucket of water next to his father. "She's tiny, even for a girl, she's always spending time in Horst's forge, she talks about leaving and traveling! Girls should stay at home so their men can take care of them!"

Eragon glared at his cousin with angry brown eyes and an indignant pout. "Heather's strong! She can pick up Horst's hammer without a problem, and even sharpened Sloan's knife for him and he actually _smiled_ at her when she showed him the edge!" Garrow barked a laugh. "Well if she can crack even Sloan, there's no telling what she'll do with her life when she puts her mind to it. Very well, boy- off you go!"

Eragon beamed and scampered away, leaving his cousin and uncle to watch him with amused expressions.

Heather was a tiny little thing at birth- the runt of Carvahall. When Gertrude helped Valka with the birth the girl was born without a wail to announce her arrival. Valka shut down any suggestions of leaving the baby in the Spine- "She'll be the strongest Shield Maiden to grace Alagaësia- you'll see." Was what she said. But even then she was known as the village runt and embarrassment. Her best and only friend was Eragon, a boy about a half-year older than her with a heart too big for himself alone.

The girl was sitting in a clearing in the forest with her young black stallion, Toothless, rolling around in the fresh spring grass. She was sketching in her journal pictures from dreams she'd been having: clouds as far as the eye can see, a castle with two dragons sitting on the walls, a sunset from what it could look like in the clouds… but while she was drawing, she remembered her mother's worried eyes; Valka packed two bags and said they were leaving Carvahall tomorrow to travel to an important place- the island where the woman was born.

Heather had to tell Eragon goodbye today.

The sound of feet approaching her had Heather looking up, and shining chocolate brown eyes met sad emerald greens.

"Hi, Heather!"

"Hi Eragon…"

Heather closed her journal and tucked it away into her satchel, standing and patting down her trousers before looking at her best friend.

"What were you doing? I saw Toothless rolling in the grass but you were just sitting here." Eragon's question made Heather sadder, and he picked up on it. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Mamma and I are leaving tomorrow morning," Heather said softly. Eragon's blood ran cold- his best friend was leaving?

"We have to go to-to an important place… today is my last day with you." Eragon's eyes flickered with what seemed like hundreds of questions before he sighed and flopped on his back. "…Will you come back?"

"I don't know… but wither way, I want to make today count!" Eragon blinked as Heather stood in the way of the sun. She bent over, her long auburn hair in a braid and catching the sunlight to make it glow like spun copper. Eragon blushed slightly when she smiled at him. "Come on!" She bent over and gripped his hand in hers, dragging him up and onto Toothless' bare back. "T-Heather?!"

"We're gonna do the things we wanna before I leave!"

Gripping Toothless' mane and kicking her heels into his back, the teenage horse reared before taking off through the clearing and into the Spine, Eragon yelping and gripping Heather’s waist tightly as she whooped with glee.

**=›◊‹=**

Their last day came and went much too fast for their liking. Before they knew it Heather and Eragon were parting ways for the evening, and for a long long time. "Heather, wait…" grabbing her wrist, the eight year old boy had two halves of a stone, both on separate chords, behind his back. Rocking back and forth on his heels, Eragon flushed a brilliant red when he offered one half of the stone to his best friend. Heather gasped, taking the polished piece of rock gently. "Eragon, it’s beautiful!"

The stone was a deep blue, almost black in color if you were looking at it without any direct sunlight. However, there were bands of white ringing the halved piece in a breathtaking array of nature’s hard work. Heather’s green eyes widened when she noticed the chord and the other half in Eragon’s other hand. “It’s so we’ll always be together!” Eragon blurted out, fidgeting restlessly as he took the girl’s half and looped it over her head. it settled snugly in the hollow of her neck and the boy adjusted the chord so that it wouldn’t choke her as much. Heather giggled before gently taking his own half and mimicking his actions. She reached out and pulled the stone a tad lower on both her neck and his before clipping them together, making a perfect whole rounded stone.

The tiny girl threw her arms around his neck, standing on her tippy toes to do so. “I love it, Eragon! thank you!” the boy smiled before embracing the tiny girl in response. "I'm going to miss you, Heather…" Eragon said when he hugged her back. Heather pulled back just enough to give him a kiss on the cheek, sending the poor boy's mind into a frenzy before it went blank. "I'll miss you too, Eragon… remember to eat properly, and never give up on a hunt! OH! And keep your arrows sharp! Make sure to help out a lot, and be nice to Sloan even if he isn’t to you!" with a brilliant smile and one last hug, Heather turned and mounted Toothless alongside her mother’s copper stallion, Cloudjumper, and waved one last farewell as the two females rode off through Carvahall’s gates.

Eragon waved goodbye with Garrow and Roran at his sides. “D’you think I’ll ever see her again?” he asked softly to his uncle. Garrow hummed as he put a hand on his nephew’s shoulder and patted him reassuringly. “If how much she loved playing with you and being with you is anything to go by,” the man mused. “Then I think she’ll find a way to fly if that’s what it took to get to see you again, lad.”

Little did they know, though, that what Garrow said was a premonition in and of itself.


	2. Tonight the Sky is Calling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven years pass

**_~Five Years and Six Months Later~_ **

_Valka had much explaining to do the moment they arrived on an island by boat- Valka’s home, an abandoned place of ice and snow in the north, was called Berk._

“It’s twelve days north of Hopeless,” _the woman had said fondly as she and her daughter were on their journey. Heather had asked where they were going and Valka had finally decided to tell her in the form of a story._ “And a few degrees south of Freezing to Death, located solidly on the Meridian of Misery.”

 _You could tell just by looking at the stone buildings and still-tall spires that it was a sturdy place, build with blood, sweat, and tears. Scorch marks still colored the walls their char-black color from torches and wall-sconces, but in the stone that seemed a bit_ too _smoothed out, there were the pawprints of majestic creatures that had long gone extinct in this area of the world. Heather, now thirteen summers old, looked around what once was the great hall in awe, the stone ceiling high overhead and filled with ledges and alcoves._

“Our people were a strong, tough race- we called ourselves Vikings for a reason. We had lived here, build upon this frozen land for seven generations before the Fall, and even then every building was built anew.”

 _Heather blinked as Valka started a fire in the large pit in the center of the Great Hall._ “The reason being, was what the people thought to be pests at the time.” _Heather furrowed her brow._ “What do you mean, mother?” _she asked._ “Mice? Mosquitoes?” _Valka chuckled dryly_. “No, dear. We had _dragons_.” _And that was where Valka fully began the story. How her namesake, Heather Horrendous Haddock II shot down the rarest dragon on the world, a Night Fury, and tried to kill it to prove the village of Berk that she wasn’t weak._

_Heather learned that her namesake found that she couldn’t kill a dragon, and instead let what was her village’s greatest enemy free. The girl learned that the dragon that people said you only had a chance if you ‘hid and prayed it didn’t find you’, let her namesake go, and in her curiosity, Heather the Second went after the Night Fury and befriended it. Heather learned that her namesake was the one who discovered the Ancient Language of the North- Thu'um, and through the bond with her dragon, named Tannløs, and forged a deeper one than that, one identical to the Riders of Alagaësia._

_Heather the Third learned how Heather the Second created a prosthetic tailfin for the downed dragon as it had been ripped off in the crash. She learned how her namesake learned to fly with the offspring of lightning and death itself as one, and they ended a three-hundred year war of which both dragon and human were victim to._

_And past that, Heather learned that her mother wasn’t all she claimed to be- she was the remnants of the last generation of this ancient order- they had forged an alliance with the Alagaësian Riders and flown to their aid when they were on the verge of dying out, only to be slaughtered by the thirteen traitors. Valka told her daughter that her mother, grandmother, and great grandmother were dragon riders, that her own dragon, also named Cloudjumper, was a quad-winged and owl-like hybrid unique to the north and was slain in the final battle against Galbatorix and his Thirteen Foresworn at Doru Araeba. Valka told Heather that it was in her blood as well to become a dragon rider, and that an egg thus far had laid dormant and hidden deep in this very hall, waiting for the arrival of its rider._

_Valka told her daughter that she felt Heather was that Dragon Rider._

_But it would be a few years yet before Heather would be ready to try for it._

**_~Seven Years after departure~_ **

The salty wind blew over the chilled isles of the north, guiding clouds into the skies and turning the day gray. The cliff face was weathered and crumbling, but the climber reveled in the challenge as she scaled the rocky face. Great monoliths and formations of what once was towered beside the climbing spot as Heather Valkasdaughter looked a ways higher towards her goal, a cave where Siegfried had his temporary den on the top of the cliff. The cord around the auburn-haired girl’s neck was drawn tight as one would wear a choker so that the stone half wouldn’t knock against anything and possibly break or chip. Heather wore leather and cloth clothing, giving her the free range of movement that a dress would not, and her copper hair had grown ever longer. Now done in a series of braids to make one big one, it reached down to her waist and waved in the winds.

Three months since Siegfried had hatched.

Three months since Valka and she had arrived at the place of her Blood Roots for Heather to take up a mantle she didn’t know she had to take up.

Three months to decide to stay and train under her mother, or take what little she did know and return to Alagaësia where the true war was being waged. Valka was insistent that her daughter stay and learn the old arts that the Berkians recorded and kept stored in the old library, but the girl didn’t want to wait. Siegfried had grown from his cat-sized hatchling self into a pitch black wraith of the night. A mirror image of the Night Fury before him, Siegfried was a powerful and lithe creature that now stood as tall at the shoulder as Toothless did at the head when he reared up. Heather had learned the old forging arts of Berk quickly, making a saddle for Siegfried even as her mother taught her the Nordic Arts, called _Shouts_.

Thus far, Heather knew quite a few. The girl grunted as she pushed herself over the edge and rolled to her back, grinning as her challenge for the day was done. The wind blew harder and her grin turned into a frown. _This won’t do at all,_ she grumbled. A deep voice chuckled within her mind as a male spoke. _Then why not fix it? You know the Shout, Little Faerie._

Standing up, Heather turned her forest green eyes to the cloudy sky above and took a deep breath. Taking a single step forwards, the rock under her feet seemed to hum before she shouted her command.

 ** _“Lok Vah Koor!”_** _Clear Skies_. With her guttural command, a ripple of power exploded from the ten and five summer's old girl's mouth and barreled upwards into the grey cast heavens before impacting with the clouds. Like a blast of one of Siegfried’s blue-flamed fireballs rippling the seas, the _Shout_ cleared the skies in a rippling action, leaving the blue roof of the world and the sunlight to be seen by those of the mortal earth.

 _Very well done, Little Faerie,_ Siegfried said, the air thrumming with the remnants of his Rider’s power. The girl nodded as she felt the effects of the Shout take it’s toll- much like the land of Alagaësia’s rules for it’s own Ancient Language, a _Shout_ took energy, and using _Clear Skies_ took about as much as energy as running halfway around the island of Berk nonstop- it was tiring, but not so much that she was breathless. And much like Alagaësian Ancient Language, Heather was warned against attempting to resurrect the dead. “They have passed for a reason, Heather,” Her mother told her. “Let that reason be final.”

 _Come, Heather._ The girl turned her gaze from the skies to the identical green abyss that was Siegfried’s own eyes. _You went through the trouble to clear the skies, why not take advantage of it?_ the girl’s fatigue cleared away somewhat and she grinned. _Same as always?_ She asked, making no movements. An affirming growl from behind her made Heather smile before she backed up with five large strides. Then without warning the bolted towards the edge of the cliff and jumped off the ledge before falling belly first towards the rocky ocean below.

The wind howled in her ears as the crashing waves grew closer and closer. Then a roar filled her ears that drowned out the wind and the air thudded with the approach of her dragon. Pitch black and shining onyx scales entered her eyesight as Siegfried dove right in front of her, the wind gaining the signature shrieking sound that came when the Night Fury was falling from above. Reaching out Heather gripped the handles of the saddle and pulled herself onto the black dragon’s back, and with a roar Siegfried angled out just before he hit the crags. A sound almost like thunder ripped through the air as the two shot across the cold ocean, kicking up a shockwave over the water that made swells as they rocketed over the surface. Heather whooped as Siegfried spun and flipped through the swelling waves the farther out they went, dipping his wingtips into the salty brine and twirling before he powered skywards.

The sun warmed his scales and Heather’s skin, and the black dragon stopped flapping when they reached their highest point, higher than the eagles dared to fly. _C’mon, Siegfried!_ Heather goaded playfully. _Thought you were faster than this~!_ _Let’s see what you’ve got!_ The black dragon snorted as he looked over his shoulder, the thick and short-long neck rippling with muscle as he moved. _So it’s speed you want, Little Faerie?_ They were poised on a precipice, wobbling on a razor’s edge. The Night Fury gave a toothy grin before he tilted sideways and began to fall.

_Then here we go!_

The grip of the earth had them again, pulling them back and falling towards the glittering ocean below. Siegfried shot a ball of blue-white fire at a sea stack and it gave a rumble before exploding outwards as the duo rocketed past. The large chunks of rock hit another stack and caused a toppling effect that they rocketed away from faster than a loosed arrow. Reaching the ocean’s surface once more Heather looked down to see her reflection in the large swell they flew inside. With a roar, Siegfried loosed another fire blast and opened a brief window in the swell’s top, giving them time to break through before they were swallowed by the ocean. Heather hollered in triumph as they whistled through the air as Siegfried roared his dominion of the skies. As their combined voices faded into the horizon silence once more took over their activity as they allowed their hearts to calm.

 _We have yet to tell your Dam we are leaving Berk._ Siegfried spoke up. _…Yes, I know,_ Heather answered with a sigh. She sat up on the saddle from her forward-laying position. _It isn't as if I mean to put it off more and more, it’s just…_ Siegfried warbled in understanding . _She wishes for you to stay with her,_ the black dragon said gently. _I understand as well. She was the one who guarded my egg, as was the duty of her mother before her. I knew her wish for the daughter or son she would bear._ Heather sent the feeling of conflicted gratitude to her partner of soul. “But how can we grow even more if we are limited to staying here, Siegfried?” the Night Fury hummed before dipping to the right, back towards Berk. _We must be patient, Little Faerie. That is all I can tell you._

** ~~~~*/|\\*~~~~ **

_They are ready to return Sky Maiden._

_But they are still young, old friend… I fear they aren’t ready. My informant in Alagaësia says the other one has hatched as well…_

_You always were one to worry, Dear One. this is something they must do themselves. They must learn to fly on their own._

_But I don’t want to lose her or him._

_…what parent wants to let their children go, Valka? Even so, it is worth it to see them apply the life lessons that you taught them._

_I wish you were still here in flesh and scale, Cloudjumper… it is rather bothersome to hug this thing…_

_Oh, Dear One… it is not our lot in life. But I will still embrace you as best I can in my four wings of Heart-And-Mind._

** ~~~~*/|\\*~~~~ **

When Heather and Siegfried returned, Valka had made up her mind. She didn’t waste time on a long-winded speech, merely packing the saddlebags and retrieving her daughter’s final heirloom. “Mother…? What is this about?” Valka turned spring green eyes to her daughter’s darker green ones. _Well, I guess I’ll be giving that speech after all…_

“Heather, Siegfried… you both have grown so much in the six months you two have been together. You are powerful alone, but together, you are nigh unstoppable.” The older woman turned to Siegfried and placed a palm on his flat nose as she brought her daughter in for a hug. “I’m sending you both back to Alagaësia.” They both stiffened at that. “I have an old friend living in Carvahall, you probably remember Brom, no?” twin green eyes widened. “He is watching over another Rider-Dragon pair as we speak, and he can help you more than I can now.” Heather watched, speechless, as Valka put a kiss on Siegfried’s forehead, then hers. “You are destened for greatness, my dears. Now go.”

“B-but what about you?” Heather stammered. Valka smiled sadly. “This old woman would only weigh you two youngsters down. My time is long over, but you two are only just beginning.” A sudden sharpness made Heather flinch, especially when it was directed at her person. “When it comes to Siegfried, protect him with everything you have, Heather. He isn’t just a male dragon, but a Night Fury, the most powerful and rare dragon of all. But more than that, he is your bonded partner. _Protect him with your very life_ , because without it, that life will be hardly seen as worth living in.”

The woman smiled as her message drew a dawning realization from her daughter and she nodded. “We’ll make you proud, mother.” Heather said, pulling the elder woman in for one last hug. Siegfried purred as he draped a wing over the woman and gave his own dragon hug to her. _You watched over my egg for so long,_ he said. _And then you brought my rider into the world. I will protect her with my very hearts if that is what it takes._ Giving the large dragon a hug as well, the mother finally let them go.

As the Night Fury wheeled into the sky, it shot a blast of fire into the air that exploded after a few moments. A final farewell.

Valka let a tear or pride fall from her eye as she watched her daughter and the noble dragon fly towards the war-torn land and whispered in their wake.

“It’s time for you both to fly on your own.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, just so you all know, Toothless the Black Horse had to stay behind with Valka. sorry all... :')
> 
> ANYWAYS! some Berkian/Nordic Lore~! So... The Island of Berk is large, about the size of Hawaii, give or take a few hundred miles or so. Heather (Hiccup) Horrendous Haddock II was also known as Dragonborn because of her ways of communicating with the dragons- It wasn't until later that hers and Tannløs bond mimicked the Alagaesian Dragon-Rider bond did they manage to become even closer- thus becoming known from the Berkian Island and beyond to the others as Heather the Dragonborn.
> 
> Yeah, I'm taking lore from Elder Scrolls and putting names in where they aren't meant to mean but SUE ME I'M WITHOUT MUCH IMAGINATION RIGHT NOW.
> 
> so that song 'The Dragonborn Comes' is, at least here for Berk, is applying to Heather the Second and her vanquishing the Red Death in place of Alduin as the World Eater.
> 
> Song I listened to when Heather was climbing the cliff and riding Siegfried:
> 
> Day One by Audiomachine


	3. Return to the Place of Birth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heather returns to Carvahall.

Heather and Siegfried flew straight across the borders of Alagaësia and the North like a black arrow shot by the wind gods, the Rider’s body covered by a heavy and thick cloak to stave off the freeze of the descending winter, though with her Viking blood she was made to resist the cold. Their trip, while it took five years to reach the island by horse and an extra two to train and then hatch Siegfried when Valka felt her daughter was ready, it took only seven weeks on dragonback, and when the girl saw the familiar mountain range of the Spine dead ahead she whooped into the early morning sky, raising her bow over her head in triumph. _Just wait till you see it all, Siegfried,_ she said joyfully, green eyes shining through the slits of her flight helmet.

 _Oh, those mountains and the freshwater streams falling from the melting snow, the falls, the forests!_ The black dragon hummed as he flew, amused at his rider’s excited talking. _From all you’ve shared with me in your memories Little Faerie, I doubt I do not know anything about your homescape…_ They flew between valley walls from the first mountainsides and circled a clearing when they closed in near the town of Carvahall. _You will absolutely love it! And wait until you meet Era-!_ She cut herself off before she could finish that thought. Eragon couldn’t know about her status; Siegfried’s safety came first and foremost now…

The dragon didn’t comment on the way she cut herself off, merely continued on his route through the valley.

 _This seems like a good place to set down and camp,_ Heather mused as she looked around from her seat on Siegfried’s back. He had swooped low to hover over a small clearing of snow, but looking up at the lightening sky the girl frowned when she realized there wasn’t a place a pitch-black dragon could hide in the snowy area. _Nevermind… I do remember a cave_ - _._ the dragon warbled as he landed in the snow. _You can contact me if you need to Little Faerie… for now, I will fly you to the village and let you off at the entrance so you can see the nestmates of your hatchling times._ Their bond conveyed the girl’s reluctance but the Night Fury rumbled. _Heather, I can take care of myself- if anything,_ you _need to be looked after more._ The girl gave a wry smile before sighing. _Fine. Let me off on the path and then go get yourself something to eat._

When the girl’s feet touched the familiar rocky pathways of her childhood she waved farewell to her dragon and began her short trek to the village.

As she entered the place of her birth and saw the true early birds getting ready for the day- Horst was stretching just outside his forge when he caught sight of her- however instead of recognizing her he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Oi, who are you?” the bear of a man growled as he stood up straight. His massive beard was as fuzzy as she remembered, his voice deep and reminding Heather of the days she spent in the forge. “You another one of those strangers coming to stir up trouble?” Heather didn’t answer, slightly confused on why he didn’t recognize her, then she realized she still had her flight helmet on, the black metal and leather completely hiding her face from sight save for her eyes.

“Horst it’s me, I’m back!”

Reaching up, the fifteen year old pulled down the hood of her cloak and took off her helmet to ruffle her bangs into their signature style and to let her long braid wave at down her back, sending the blacksmith a crooked grin. Horst’s face went slack for a moment under his forest-beard before his eyes glistened with tears of hope and wonder. “Heather? That you, lass?” the auburn-haired girl nodded, tucking her helmet under her arm. “Aye. I’m back you meathead.” The man stood still for a moment before he let out a bellow of laughter and barreling towards her to squeeze her in a bear hug.

“Oh, look at you, lass! Still as tiny as a fawnbone ye are! But I must say you’ve gotten a mite taller!” Heather huffed and rolled her eyes as she fought for breath. “Horst, I need- need to breathe!”

The bear-man put her down and clapped her on the shoulder, making her stumble slightly. “Where is your mother, lass? Val must be nearby if you’ve returned, yes?” Heather shook her head. “No… she wished to stay where she was born. I proved myself to be capable enough so she let me make the journey on my own.” The man’s eyes widened and he looked the girl over with a more critical eye. “You aren’t hurt? No unsightly men came to snap ye up? And where is your horse? Can’t imagine you selling him.” the green-eyed girl smiled and flexed her arms jokingly. “What, men wanting me? Not possible! They wouldn’t know what to do with all… _this_.” Horst chuckled. “Aye, I can see you’re even more of a spitfire than you were when you and Eragon were running around wreaking havoc on us older folk. No doubt whatever poor man tried to woo ya would be knocked flat on his ass.”

Heather smirked and saluted. “As if you would expect anything less, Horst.” The man smiled and enveloped her in a hug. “Oh, Elain and the boys missed you just as much as I did- you are like a daughter and sister to us and them. Would you stay for breakfast? You must be hungry after your travels.” Heather shook her head no, her braid waving behind her. “I’m afraid I must go and greet some others before I can take you up on that offer, Horst.” The girl touched a gentle finger to the stone necklace she still wore and the man’s eyes gained a certain gleam in them. “Eragon, Roran, and Garrow, yeah?” the girl nodded, shifting from foot to foot. The man laughed and gently nudged her down the road.

“Then get going. That boy missed you more than any of us did, I can tell you that.” Heather smiled brightly and turned, her braid flying out like a whip before she sprinted down the street towards Garrow’s farm, clipping her strange helmet to her hip as she stumbled along.

A chuckle behind Horst drew his attention and he saw Elain standing there with a knowing smile on her face and a hand on her pregnant belly. “I told you when they were small they were smitten with each other.” She said almost smugly. The large man sighed and wrapped an arm around his wife’s waist.

“May as well give me the five silvers now, darling.”

Heather didn’t hear the clink of currency being exchanged, distance and urgency making her hurry on her way. The girl ran from the town center and to it’s edges where the roads to the more isolated members of the village lived. Heather cut through an old path she and Eragon would take as a shortcut, striding through the fields as the sun came up and bathed Palancar Valley in it’s golden light and catching her cloak as it fanned out behind her. An eagle shrieked overhead, flying low and close to Heather’s head and she laughed as the mountain air filled her lungs. She jumped over a small stream trickling through their meadow, she smelt the strawberries as their plants bore the last of their fruits before winter fully set in.

_Heather!_

The girl turned her head and saw a sleep black shape bounding through the deep forest to her distant left before it vanished into the darker areas. Seeing Siegfried made her worry for his safety- he wasn’t exactly invisible. But there was no one on the roads so she knew he was safe for now.

Birds chirped as she ran through orchids and rabbits fled when she ducked under a fence. Her brow was slicked with sweat but she still smiled widely. She was _home_.

The girl crested a hilltop several minutes later, breathing heavily and wiping sweat from her brow, and she looked down at the farm below. She could see Roran- that _was_ Roran, yes?- helping Garrow put away the harvest, but Eragon was nowhere to be seen. No matter, Heather would track him down soon enough. The girl stood up and refastened her helmet and hooded cloak. Once sure they were in place cupped her hands around her mouth and hollered a greeting.

_“HO, Garrow! HO, Roran!”_

The two men jolted before looking up and spotting her. Heather sprinted down the hilltop, new energy in her limbs as she was eager to see her old friends again. “Who goes there?” Roran barked, readying a sickle in case there was a fight. Garrow narrowed his eyes at the figure flying towards them before they widened and he put a hand on Roran’s arm. “Heather?! Gods and devils almighty, look at you!” Roran gawked as the figure he thought was a threat came barreling down the hill. “Father there is no way that’s Heath-!” then the black-clad person suddenly tripped over their own feet and tumbled head over heels down the rest of the hill. Garrow shot Roran a look with a grunt and a raised eyebrow and his son watched as the figure- the girl they last saw seven summers ago- yelp and curse as she flipped and tumbled down the hill.

“I stand corrected…”

The girl’s helmet flew off when she landed for the last time and she got to her feet with a bright grin on her face, if looking a tad bit cross-eyed. “Hey Garrow, Roran… I’m back! And can you make the world stop spinning for a heartbeat?” Garrow chuckled and helped the girl to her feet as she shook off the spots in her vision. “Oh, Heather you’ve grown so-.” “Little, yes, I know, I got that talk from Horst already.” Roran chuckled and ruffled her hair in a brotherly fashion, making her grumble as he messed it up from the organized mess she had it in, before bringing her in for a hug. “where did you go? What did you and Valka see?” “Speaking of Val, where is she?”

Heather repeated what she told Horst when he asked about her mother and the men nodded. “Oh, and you just missed Eragon,” Garrow told her. “Whenever he finishes his chores he always dissapears into the forest. I don’t know what that boy gets up to, but if you remember all of your haunts there, you may find him.” With a promise to return with their errant youngest and regale them all of her tales accumulating for seven years, Heather put her helmet on and ventured into the forest.

The moment she stepped inside the snowy trees she felt a strange hum in the air that made her pause. Something strong was in this forest, so she had to be careful.

 _“ **Laas Yah Niir**.”_ She whispered, sending out a pulse of violet magic around her.

 _Aura Whisper_ allowed her to track the life forces of animals up to a certain distance around her for a period of thirty minutes, so after a cursory glance over all the purple auras of the creatures scampering about, the black rider began her trek.

Eragon’s prints seemed to go everywhere and nowhere at once- they doubled back sometimes, went east, turned towards the farm again, went in circles. It had Heather gritting her teeth in frustration sometimes… then she realized they were trying to lead her astray, not to where Eragon was. the girl spotted a tree about thirty meters away and jogged over to get a better look- all the bark had been stripped to a certain height from the tree, and a large footprint was in the snow at it’s base. Heather’s blood went cold at the thought of an animal that could do this running about the forest where Eragon was.

Heather’s gaze roved through the woods before finding the aura of more animals- they seemed to be trying to avoid an area farter up. Seeing this Heather’s eyes narrowed and she stood cautiously. There was something there, alright. It was big, a bit smaller than Siegfried, but still big enough to cause concern. Looking back, she saw that they were a far distance from the Farm, so if she was seen by this beast her only defense would be to run and wait for Siegfried. With a breath and a muttered _I’m going to regret this_ , the Black Rider cautiously approached the area. On silent feet, she used the bushes and trees to her advantage, covered in snow as they were they did provide cover. the closer Heather got to the big animal the more she realized that someone was with it. A voice drifted in the air as if someone was talking to another, and her eyes widened when she peeked over the top of the bush when she recognized Eragon- that unruly mop of brown hair was impossible to miss- but he was… sitting in the hollow of a beautiful sapphire blue dragon’s neck.

She let out a gasp, unbidden from her lips, but that proved to be the cause of her discovery. Blue eyes snapped open from their peaceful closed appearance and Eragon’s head snapped up to look in Heather’s direction before his face paled drastically. The blue dragon hissed and got to it’s feet, Eragon scrambling to his own and pulling out his bow and nocking an arrow. _Siegfried… I-we- you-!_ The blue dragon sprang towards Heather and the girl had no time to unfreeze her limbs to get away. She could only shout with her mind for her dragon before she was pinned by a large blue paw and an arrowhead pointing at her helmet-covered face.

“Who are you?”

 _Heather! Where are you?!_ Sending an image of her ascent to where she was, she felt Siegfried racing towards them. “I-!” the dragon growled and pressed on her chest a bit harder, making Heather grunt. Brown eyes flickered towards the dragon and seemed to fog over for a moment before they went back towards Heather’s. _please recognize me…_ she prayed. His eyes narrowed at the green under the eyeholes, faint recognition flickering in his brown eyes before they went over her state of dress. Reaching for her helmet, his fingers looped around the bottom, but before he could move to take it off a thundering roar came from above, followed by a high-pitched whistling sound.

Siegfried crashed into the blue dragon with his maw burning purple-white and his green eyes glowing with wrath.

“SAPHIRA!”

“SIEGFRIED!”

The two paused in the shouting of the dragon’s names to look incredulously at each other before running towards their respective companions. Siegfried reared up in his hind legs and swiped at the blue dragon, roaring and hissing. His mouth glowed before a powerful blast of purple-white fire shot from his maw and at the ground between the two dragons, making the ground explode with fire, mud, steam. _You DARE to attack what belongs to a King-Of-The-Night?!_ Siegfried’s enraged shout rippled around the mountain. _You shall pay for your insolence!_ Turning to the boy, Siegfried growled low and his eyes slit. Then a beautiful voice shouted from everywhere and nowhere, filled with panic and anger. _Eragon, run!_ It was female, and Heather’s eyes were wide when she realized it was from the blue dragon- well, dragoness. It was a _female_.

“No, Siegfried stop. I’m alright, they didn’t hurt me!”

The blue dragon had stopped it’s assault as well, preferring to curl around Eragon and stare with tense awe and anger at the two strangers in her territory. the black Night Fury hissed before reluctantly returning to all fours and snorting smoke. “Y-you’re a rider…?” Eragon’s voice sounded disbelieving and Heather turned to look at him. his eyes were wide with awe as he switched from Heather to Siegfried. “We- we thought we were the only ones left. Where did you come from? Who are you?”

Now that everything was out in the open, Heather felt like a chunk of ice was settled into her gut- she came back to primarily see Brom, but seeing that the new rider he was watching over was her oldest and best friend made her suddenly feel faint with worry.

=›◊‹=

 _It’s another Rider… I cannot believe- but Brom said they had all died save for the king!_ The boy felt nearly giddy with the discovery, even if this dragon was unlike any he had heard of in Brom’s tales. As he asked his questions, he slowed down when he saw the other rider wasn’t answering. Did they not speak the same language? _They seem to be confused,_ Saphira said, not taking her eyes of the other dragon-rider pair. _Show them the mark._ Eragon blinked before taking off his left glove and showing them the Gedwëy Ignasia. Wetting his lips, Eragon asked again. “Are you a Rider?”

The other Rider blinked before taking a shuddering breath. “Eragon… I can’t believe it.” the boy jerked and straightened, eyes flashing as he restrung an arrow in his bow. “How do you know my name?!” he asked harshly. The black dragon- larger and faster than Saphira, already breathing that strange variation of fire- hissed and bared it’s teeth at him. _Take care with your tone, Spriggan_ , it warned darkly. _My Rider must gather her thoughts. Seeing as you have attacked her, you owe her that much at least._

Eragon’s mind studdered on that word. _Her?_

The Black Rider’s hands raised and gripped the helmet covering her face. with a smooth motion, she pulled the leather and metal covering off and let a long braid of auburn hair fall from it’s confines. A spray of freckles, familiar in Eragon’s memory, came into view as a gloved hand ruffled the bangs of her head. forest green eyes blinked open and the boy let his bow clatter to the ground in shock.

Heather smiled at her old friend shakily, placing a hand on the Black Dragon’s shoulder, and spoke.

“I’m back, Eragon.”

* * *

Toothless/Siegfried's Appearance (Pay no attention to the Vikings he's pissed at, and I do not own the image rights go to the real creator):

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tracks I listened to while writing this:
> 
> The Fire Within by Audiomachine - when Heather was running along the shortcut towards Garrow's farm.
> 
> Path of Light by Twelve Titan's Music - Heather looking for Eragon and Siegfried attacking Saphira


	4. Catching Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eragon and Heather meet each others dragons, spend time with each other and catch up.

Eragon’s mind was blank, save for the girl- no the _woman’s_ voice, echoing within. She was still much smaller than him, her head reaching to that spot between his shoulder blades at most if she stood behind him, but she carried herself with the sort of poise that reminded him of a noblewoman. Her eyes seemed to glow with an otherworldly energy and her smile was tentative at best. She had grown, filled out, and become a woman.

“Eragon? Please say something.” Her voice came from right in front of him and the boy jolted when he realized he was right in front of her (when had he moved?). she was looking up at him nervously while the black dragon at her side watched him with distrust in his large green eye. “Is this really you, Heather? Truly?” a small gloved hand came up and flicked him on the forehead. A brash move yes, but it held the familiarity that was needed in action and not word. “Yes, Eragon. It’s me… I’m back.” And it was like the ground itself let out a breath. Eragon reached out and placed tentative fingers on the auburn-haired girl’s shoulder, gripping it after a light brush as if hoping she wouldn’t vanish.

“It’s been seven years, Heather… you came back and with a- a _dragon!_ ” the girl’s eyebrow tilted upwards and she let her nervous pursing of the lips turn upwards into a teasing, if not wary, smile. “You’re one to talk, wild boy. You have a beauty of a blue with you also…” the two looked over each other’s shoulders to gaze at their respective dragons. Warm rich earthy brown looked into a glowing emerald green as forest green looked into sapphire blue. “What’s their name?” Heather asked.

A tendril of thought touched the girl’s mind and Heather cautiously let them in. _My name is Saphira,_ the dragon spoke, her voice musical and strong like her mother’s. _It is wonderful to meet Eragon’s friend from his early days. He never stopped talking about you when he was teaching me the ways of things._ Heather felt a blush warm her cheeks at that comment but didn’t reply. _Well, you probably already know,_ the girl said instead. _But my name is Heather Valkasdaughter. It is an honor to meet another dragon… I thought Siegfried was the only one freely in the skies._

Behind the two females, the males were speaking to each other themselves. _So you are my Little Faerie’s companion?_ Eragon felt like he was under scrutiny of a woman’s father with how the emerald stare swept over him. the large flat-ish head tilted to get a better angle to look at him and a large black paw dug it’s talons into the snow. _Yes,_ Eragon replied. _My name is Eragon, though Heather probably already told you so…_

The black dragon huffed and shook his head as if he were ridding himself of a pest, the flaps of scale crowning his head like a frill rattling. _And I, Siegfried. Take warning boy- if you hurt my Rider, it will be your head between my jaws, with my teeth fully out and digging into your neck._ Eragon stiffened at the threat but the black dragon’s emotions withdrew before he could comment. Now that Riders had met Dragons, it was time for the Dragons to meet each other.

Black and blue circled each other, sniffing and letting out various sounds of crooning and humming.

“So…”

“Now that that’s out of the way-.”

The two paused and glanced at each other before chuckling and giggling quietly. Eragon enveloped Heather in what must have been the tenth hug she’d gotten that day, burying his face into her shoulder, before pulling away to look over her once again, the awe still having never fully left his features. “You’re a _rider…_ ” He seemed to be in awe of the fact and Heather smirked before jerking her chin towards the blue dragoness. “Could say the same thing about you. How did that happen?”

And so came the long story that the two told each other.

=›◊‹=

“The egg just… appeared in front of you…?”

Eragon nodded and turned his gaze from the sky to his friend. “And you found out you are, for lack of better terms, a _princess_ of an entire Rider’s Order of humans called Nordics- Vikings.” Heather bit her lower lip and turned away from Eragon’s searching gaze. “It’s only a title… one I don’t really care for.” The boy smiled and lightly brushed his shoulder with hers. “Yes, you never were one for name-calling… _Fawnbone_.” Heather scoffed and threw a small clot of mud at Eragon, making him duck out of the way with a laugh. “She is beautiful, though,” the girl sighed as she watched Saphira and Siegfried bound between trees, her dragon’s lithe and fluid form completely outmaneuvering the blue dragoness’ slightly more bulky frame. Even so, her scales shimmered like gemstones under the sunlight. “How old is she?” Eragon frowned as he did the math.

“About… a season old, give or take. Siegfried?” Heather smirked. “Over that by a few weeks- it was still summer when he hatched for me, but in that time the ice is still on the ground up North, so I can’t know for sure. He was able to breathe fire straight from the egg, nearly blew my hand off when we bonded.”

Eragon’s eyes flickered to her uncovered right hand, the palm facing upwards to show her own version of the Gedwëy Ignasia- it looked strangely in the form of Siegfried’s body, curled up and ready to pounce if you looked hard enough. It had a lavender sheen to it instead of the silvery one that Eragon’s own had, but was mysterious and beautiful in its own way.

Taking his gaze from the girl’s mark, he hummed. “Yes, winter all around- as you said, a few degrees south of ‘Freezing to Death.’” Brown eyes followed the strange gait of the black dragon as compared to Saphira’s. “He’s unlike anything I’ve heard of in the hearthside tales, though.” Heather nodded, her own eyes lit up with a joy and wonder that Eragon knew he mirrored when he wasn’t worried for people discovering Saphira. “Yes… as the scrolls said, his kind were known as the ‘Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death itself.’ There’s a reason for that, though… took me by surprise when we flew into a storm cloud, but I was able to make some specialized armor to fix its drawbacks.”

Eragon’s eyes lit up with curiosity and Heather turned her nose up at him playfully. “Not now, mister- I can’t perform it with Siegfried unless I’m wearing the armor and it’s in bad shape. I’ll need a forge to repair it…” She frowned then. “Horst’s won’t do unfortunately- he doesn’t have the tools I need.”

Heaving a sigh, Eragon leaned back and looked up at the sky- it was midday already. “We should probably get back,” he said after a moment. “They’ll want to know where we’ve gotten off to… your old home was taken down to make room for more farming land, so you’ll have to take up residence in Morn’s tavern for the time being…” Heather stood and wiped the mud from her leathers. Eragon followed her movements before standing himself. “Well, that is true, though I may just stay with Horst and his family. He’s already extended the offer to have breakfast with me, but since I never got any because of having to track down a forest boy-.” Eragon rolled his eyes. “Said forest boy will have to take me to the tavern to eat lunch to make up for it…or maybe stop by Sloan’s home to swipe one of the meat pies he always cools on the windowsills?”

And just like that, it was as if they were children once more, causing havoc in the village and pulling pranks together. Eragon blinked as he watched Heather stride past him and into the brush, her black cloak waving behind her. Glancing back at Saphira the dragoness merely jerked her head at him. _Well go on, then. Siegfried and I will be just fine on our own- just be careful._ Eragon didn’t answer save for a nod to the blue dragoness as he followed the girl down the mountainside.

=›◊‹=

Heather moved around the trees, bushes and small patches of snow as the two made their way down the mountain. They had talked about all they needed to while they watched their dragons frolic and introduce themselves, so they walked in comfortable silence until Eragon decided to speak again. “What do we do now?” Heather looked back at her friend as he moved around a large log. “We both have dragons, we’re both riders, just like in the stories.” he elaborated. “As far as I know, you and I are the only free Riders in the land of Alagaësia,” He paused before adding as an afterthought. “And the North.” Heather furrowed her brow a bit. “Yes, that’s right… you said it was about a full season since you’ve found the ‘stone’, right? Have people been asking for it lately?”

“Yes, Horst warned me late yesterday evening about strangers coming into Carvahall asking about it. Maybe it belonged to one of them.” Heather turned her eyes to the border of the forest as they re-emerged at the farm. Reaching out to Eragon with her mind, she trailed a tendril of thought over his consciousness and had to stifle a snort when he jerked in shock. She felt his mind scramble to figure out what was causing his discomfort before she spoke to him within.

 _Eragon, calm down, it’s me._ Brown eyes went wide before they snapped to green ones in surprise. “Heather, you-!” She narrowed her eyes slightly. _We can speak like this when we’re around people, just think your thoughts, direct them to me and I’ll hear them._ the boy furrowed his brow before shaking his head as if ridding himself of water drops. _It feels strange_ , he complained. Heather gave a wry smirk. _It beats having to call Saphira’s egg ‘The Stone’ or calling her and Siegfried ‘the strange things’_.

_Yes… I suppose so._

“Eragon! Heather! It’s about time you two came back, we were getting worried.” The two young adults looked up to see Roran approaching them. “I know that Heather just came back, but I need to go into Carvahall to collect some supplies for my journey. Eragon, can you come with me?”

The connection Heather had extended to Eragon hadn’t broken- in fact _Eragon_ was keeping the small pathway open- as far as she knew it was unintentional on his part- so when the girl felt a sudden pang of resentment directed at the boy’s cousin, she couldn’t help but wonder what it was about. Nevertheless, Eragon accepted the request to go into town with Roran, though casting a short glance at Heather before he did, and followed the elder man down the road.

 _We can speak more what you get back,_ the girl said reassuringly, but other than a sense of acknowledgement from her male counterpart, Heather got no other reply. In many ways, Eragon had remained the same, but something was bothering him. Whatever this 'journey' was that Roran was going on, Eragon wasn't happy about it taking place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tad short, but hey, I got it done! Next chapter is where the action kicks in~!


End file.
